Recent news

From breaking out of jail to hitting enemies in the face with tennis balls, here are the latest games to download this weekend. Gigantic (preview) Gigantic is a five-on-five, player versus player action game. Choose from a huge roster of unique heroes, each with their own spells, weapons and abilities, and … Read more »

People moaning and shuffling around a shopping centre in December would normally be called “Christmas shopping”. However, the figures walking around Bloomsbury in London on Monday night looked like they had been digging through earth rather than bargain bins. Xbox officially launched Dead Rising 4, one of the most popular … Read more »

Microsoft has hired one of the UK’s top education technology leaders to lead its work in the sector. Ian Fordham, currently CEO of Edtech UK and a Mayor of London Tech Ambassador, will join the company in January as Director of Education. He will oversee Microsoft’s work involving schools, colleges, universities … Read more »

The top four teams in the Premier League will break away from the chasing pack after this weekend’s matches, Bing has predicted. Microsoft’s search engine expects Chelsea, Arsenal, Liverpool and Manchester to win their respective games, while fifth-placed Tottenham will only manage to draw against sixth-placed Manchester United. This will … Read more »

A company that helps teachers and their pupils work together using the cloud has completed the largest ever early-stage fundraising of its kind. Firefly Learning, which was founded by two British entrepreneurs, has raised £4.5m from two venture capital funds in the biggest such deal in the education technology sector. … Read more »

The European Commission has cleared Microsoft’s acquisition of social network LinkedIn, following similar reviews and clearances in the US, Canada, Brazil and South Africa. Microsoft President Brad Smith has written about how the deal, which will be completed within days, will help the company “take new steps to help people learn … Read more »

Police forces across London have stepped up the fight against crime by using Microsoft’s Azure cloud service to store and review millions of hours of footage filmed on officers’ body cameras. Around 22,000 police men and women from 32 boroughs in the capital have been given wearable video cameras so … Read more »

By Jaipriya Kaur Rai The World Skills Show is the UK’s largest careers event – and I was lucky enough to be there with Microsoft. The one-stop-shop for jobs, held in Birmingham recently, aims to be an interactive aid for youngsters who are considering what they would like to do … Read more »

Financial companies that want to move work to the cloud have been told by Microsoft that its Azure service complies with the new guidance released by the UK’s top regulator. The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) released guidance in July aimed at aiding firms from the financial services sector as they move … Read more »

Hollywood actor Michael Sheen has talked to schoolchildren in Wales as part of a Microsoft event aimed at connecting people across the world via Skype. The BAFTA-winning star of Frost/Nixon, who was born in Newport, sent and received video messages with pupils at Ysgol Bae Baglan School in Port Talbot … Read more »

Xbox is helping children have fun and stay safe online this Christmas by launching a family hub. With the Xbox One S outselling rival consoles in September and October, and Black Friday deals proving popular with shoppers, Microsoft is helping parents make sure their children are having fun in a secure … Read more »

Motorists will know their car has a problem before it breaks down thanks to RAC technology that lets people “talk” to vehicles. The British firm’s device can spot issues with parts such as filters and fuel injectors before they fail, saving car owners time, inconvenience and money. The black box device can be fitted to … Read more »

Microsoft is offering hundreds of pounds off some of its best-known products for Black Friday. The company has reduced prices on its tablets, games consoles, games and accessories for the event, which takes place on November 25. Shoppers can save hundreds of pounds on a Surface Pro 4 while also getting … Read more »

A model kit that helps children build and program their own toy cars has been recognised by one of the world’s top innovation award shows for improving kids’ lives. SAM Labs, which is based in London and graduated from Microsoft’s start-up programme in 2014, has revealed that its Curious Cars … Read more »

Wayne Rooney was the most searched-for player on Bing in the past week after the Manchester United and England star was criticised for attending a wedding. The midfielder has “unreservedly” apologised for “inappropriate” pictures of him at an event at the England hotel a day after his team beat Scotland … Read more »

Skype has opened up its service so even people without accounts can chat to each other for free. The Microsoft-owned business now lets Skype.com visitors quickly use text, voice and video calls even if they don’t register with the website or download the app. “By joining Skype as a guest, … Read more »

Girls are just as likely as boys to create the next generation of technology that brings people together to solve the world’s biggest problems, the chief executive of Microsoft UK has said. Cindy Rose told an audience of more than 150 schoolgirls that when it comes to digital innovation and … Read more »

Charities could help more people if they embraced new technology such as cloud computing and machine learning, an event at Microsoft has heard. More than 100 representatives from over 80 UK charities took part in the Tech4Good conference at Microsoft’s UK headquarters in Reading recently. They heard how technology can help … Read more »

From battling in dungeons and blowing up worms, to surviving car chases in 1970s Italy, here are the latest games you need to download this weekend. Ittle Dew 2 Ittle Dew 2 is a 3D action/adventure game with a focus on exploration and combat. Ittle and Tippsie crash onto yet … Read more »

A school in Falkirk has become the first in Scotland to transform how they teach children by using Microsoft products in every department. Teachers at St Mungo’s High School have switched to Office 365 and now use programs such as Word, Excel, PowerPoint, OneNote and Sway in lessons to boost … Read more »

Arsenal’s title hopes will be dealt a further blow this weekend when they slump to defeat against Manchester United, Bing predicts. The Gunners, who were joint top of the Premier League a few weeks ago but are now fourth, are expected to lose even more ground on Liverpool, Manchester City … Read more »

Minecraft fans can now create their own version of the game and choose how it works, in a new release by Microsoft and Mojang. Minecraft Hour of Code Designer, a free coding tutorial for students and teachers, lets users make their own world in the popular block-building title and program … Read more »